George selling ATA to John Travolta?

[ataopsdave]

Anybody else hear about this?

"John Travolta's 707 is here in Indy today. Supposedly he is in town to discuss investment in ATA with George. He is a big aviation nut , wants his own airline, and has the money."

 

[pilotyip]

Watch out

He might want to jump senority and fly Capt

 

[737 Pylt]

Anybody else hear about this?

"John Travolta's 707 is here in Indy today. Supposedly he is in town to discuss investment in ATA with George. He is a big aviation nut , wants his own airline, and has the money."

Well, you know how to make a little money in aviation don't you??

You start with a lot!
737
IMHO, John Travoltas financial advisors will tell him to aviod the aviation industry like the plague!

 

[General Lee]

I wouldn't count on Travolta to bank roll you guys, his last 5 movies $ucked.



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Lear70]

I don't know, I kind of liked Swordfish...

Think he'd get lost in an ATA plane, circle LAX and call 121.5 again?

 

[General Lee]

What was that one for the church of Scientology? The crazy L Ron Hubbard film about aliens? He had really cool funky hair in that one....



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[PBRstreetgang]

Hey,
Battlefield Earth, book was way better!
PBR

 

[SWA/FO]

Hallie Berry made Swordfish good.

 

[singlespeed]

Anybody else hear about this?

"John Travolta's 707 is here in Indy today. Supposedly he is in town to discuss investment in ATA with George. He is a big aviation nut , wants his own airline, and has the money."

hahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahhahahahhahhaahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahhahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahah I'm on the floor pissing myself silly now thanks I needed this one. What a day. Whew gota get the tears from my eyes now.

 

[singlespeed]

Anybody else hear about this?

"John Travolta's 707 is here in Indy today. Supposedly he is in town to discuss investment in ATA with George. He is a big aviation nut , wants his own airline, and has the money."

hahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahhahahahhahhaahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahhahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahah

I'm on the floor pissing myself silly now thanks I needed this one. What a day. Whew gota get the tears from my eyes now.

 

[singlespeed]

Anybody else hear about this?

"John Travolta's 707 is here in Indy today. Supposedly he is in town to discuss investment in ATA with George. He is a big aviation nut , wants his own airline, and has the money."

hahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahhahahahhahhaahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahhahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahah

I'm on the floor pissing myself silly now thanks I needed this one. What a day. I gota get the tears from my eyes now.

Did he wear his pilot costume to meet with the ATA guys?

 

[Sensei]

I must be bored to reply to this but...I just finished a trip with a Capt who had a jumpseater from ATA earlier in the day who was in a meeting with George M. earlier in the day. I'll pause here so you can re-read that run-on sentence. George allegedly said that ATA is not going to sell gates or airplanes, but that they were trying to reduce their high cost leases of the 73-800s and also get the pilots salaries in line with other low cost carriers--ie pay cut. Details are still sketchey but I think the source is pretty good--and again I'm bored.

 

[TriStar_drvr]

We're just "stayin' alive, stayin' alive just stayin' alive..."

Maybe our new uniforms will be white polyester leisure suits with black rayon shirts and platform shoes.

As for his financial advisors telling him to stay away. They didn't stop him from buying a 707, so how much pull do they have?

 

[FL717]

hahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahhahahahhahhaahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahhahahhahahhahhahahhahahhahahhahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahah I'm on the floor pissing myself silly now thanks I needed this one. What a day. Whew gota get the tears from my eyes now.

Hey.... is your new avatar the squad car camera videotaping your pot bust on I-70 last weekend??

Give me a call me d!ckweed, I gotta story for ya.

 

[Metro752]

this is cool. ATA is getting Chautauqua jungle jets, and being bargained for by my favorite pilot from Ocala, FL!

Tomorrow it will be that the U.S. government loves ATA so much, they really do, that they will GRANT millions to save America's favorite airline!

I kinda hope for that last one.
showthread.php?t=39021

 

[AKAAB]

Hey,
Battlefield Earth, book was way better!
PBR

Agreed! I thought I was the only one that read it...

 

[SpeedBird]

Here's Why JT Was in Indy

The link below explains why Travolta was in Indy with his B707. It looks like the only benefactor was a local caterer.


http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=2241853

 

[wood pecker]

Have you heard the one about AirTran looking at some of ATAs 737 or gates?

 

[FL717]

Have you heard the one about AirTran looking at some of ATAs 737 or gates?

Yes. My personal opinion is this however.

I have been led to believe that AirTran negotiated and is paying less for our 737s, the engines, and maintenance, than any other carrier in the world. I also know that we negotiate and pay a sweetheart rock bottom deal on just about anything we own or lease.

With that said, the question is... will AirTran be able to get exactly and only what it wants at the lowball fire sale price versus buying new?

I also know that this airline believes in slow steady year over year growth, and has not and will not add to simply increase capacity. This move would have to be part of a bigger expansion plan in MDW, or fleet expansion outside what we have been executing.

ATA only has 737-800's with winglets. We currently are only taking deliveries of 737-700's without winglets. There is a reason for this.

As far as pay... the pay on the 737-700 is the SAME as a 717. The company would like to not have to pay us the higher pay rates that a 737-800 pays. This could factor into the whole aircraft acqusition equation right now.

And this leads to the billion dollar question.... if ATA wasn't able to make it work in MDW, why would AirTran taking over their gates and leases suddenly work for us? BTW- that is a rhetorical question as I understand their cash flow situation, and their long term debt problem, but at one point ATA made a capacity expansion business plan execution mistake that led to this predicament, and I believe our executives are looking very closely and conservatively so that we do not follow that path.

 

[Jeff Helgeson]

It's all about the "Golden Rule"

He might want to jump senority and fly Capt

Those that have the gold, make the rules!!!

 

[I.P. Freley]

Agreed! I thought I was the only one that read it...

Not at all... I read it too.

Twice.

That book is absolutely BRILLIANT, the best sci-fi book I've ever read. As long as you have the perseverance to make it through a thousand pages, of course.

 

[StopNTSing]

ATA only has 737-800's with winglets. We currently are only taking deliveries of 737-700's without winglets. There is a reason for this.

I'd love to know the reason, because we didn't decide that winglets made sense (i.e. the money was right) until just last year...and that was when oil was still $30/barrel. What are you guys holding out for?

 

[On Your Six]

I'd love to know the reason, because we didn't decide that winglets made sense (i.e. the money was right) until just last year...and that was when oil was still $30/barrel. What are you guys holding out for?

Plus, the winglets look waaaaaay cooler! The AirTran 737-700s look nerdy without them. By the way, are the 717s actually longer than the 700s? They look pretty close to me....

 

[F/O]

Everyone gets a "Royale with cheese" for their crew meal.

 

[FL717]

I'd love to know the reason, because we didn't decide that winglets made sense (i.e. the money was right) until just last year...and that was when oil was still $30/barrel. What are you guys holding out for?

I had an executive tell me directly that they felt ATA was making a business blunder by getting too large of aircraft for their business model. AirTran believes in flying too small of an airplane versus too big. I was told our final -700 versus -800 mix is undecided as of yet, but current projections call for 1 737-800 for every 10 737-700's.

As far as winglets, I was told there is an associated "cost" for them, even if puchasing used aircraft with them already outfitted. To get the cost benefit, you must increase your stage length for that particular aircraft with winglets. With SWA, you have/are/will increase your average stage length with more transcon flying year over year, the increased cost savings over acqusition cost, and hence the late decision by your management to make the investment. We only currently have a couple flights to LAX and SFO. Not enough savings to justify the cost.

These two factors are the reasons that have been explained to me... right or wrong.

Plus, the winglets look waaaaaay cooler! The AirTran 737-700s look nerdy without them. By the way, are the 717s actually longer than the 700s? They look pretty close to me....

I agree... winglets look waycool.

As far as length (717) 124ft versus (737-700) 102ft I believe.

 

[LJDRVR]

He might want to jump senority and fly Capt

First he's got to go back to school.

According to the FAA website, Mr. Travolta is a Private Pilot, Airplane Multi Engine Land, with type ratings in the LR JET G1159 CE500 (VFR only on the Citation)

Now, that having been said, I would love to fly his 707. I always wondered why he never got an ATP, I know he does recurrent at Simuflite and American Airlines. Heck, he's got more flight time than me, what's the reason for flying around in the heavy iron as a private pilot?

 

[Skybusdriver]

I heard he failed the ATP type ride on the 707, and can only qualify in the right seat. I don't know though.

 

[Fly-By-Cable]

...........

 

[apdsm]

I always wondered why he never got an ATP

There really is no need for him to get an ATP unless he wants to fly for 121 or 135 operator. I'll bet you a case of your favorite expensive beer that he has no intention of doing that!

 

[Jeff Helgeson]

Make it a Big Kahuna Burger!

Everyone gets a "Royale with cheese" for their crew meal.

....and don't even think of dippin' your fries in mayo.